Means for delivering charges of glass



Jan. 16, 1923.

C. R. LOTT. MEANS FOR DELIVERING CHARGES 0F GLASS. FILED SEPT. 2, 1920.

QSHEETS-SHEEI l.

INVENTOR Jan. 16, 1923.

C. R. LOTT.

MEANS FOR DELIVERINGiCHARGES 0F GLASS.

- FILED SEPT-2, I920- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Jan. .16, 1923.

C. R. LOTT.

MEANS FOR DELIVERING CHARGES 0F GLA SS. mso SEPT. 2. 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

IIIVEIITOR tities each sufficient-to form a mold charge.

' Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE B. LoTT, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or QOLUMBiA, ASSIGNOR TO'THE ownns v BOTTLE eoMrANY, or TOLEDQ, OHIO,- A CORPORATION or OHIO.

" MEANS FOR DELIVERING CHARGEsOF'GLKss. i

.App licatioii filed September 2, 1920. "Serialiq'o. 407,649.

To aZZ whom ifmwy concern .3

Be it known that I, CL'YDE B. Low, acitizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have in- -remaining glass suspended. The glass is vented new and useful Improvements in Means for Delivering Charges of Glass, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to'fiowing molten glass and separating it into individual masses or mold charges. The molten glass which is supplied from a melting furnace or. refining tank or other container is fed intoan auxiliary; container having an outlet opening in the bottom thereof through'which vthe glass is, discharged. A regulatlng device, preferably in'the .form of a plug or plunger reciprocating vertically above the outlet, operates during its downward movement to: expel a mass of-glass' which is then severed. The plunger" during its return movement temporarily retards or holds the thus delivered in gobs orformed masses. of

. the'proper size andshape for-entering the molds. etween the tank and the auxiliary container through which the glass is advanced .by a

propeller which rotates in. synchronism with glass in individual masses or measured guan Other features of the invention willappear hereinafter.

In theac'companying drawings Figurelis a side elevation of ing apparatus embodying the principles of myinvention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is, a sectional plan of the cutting apparatus.

Figure"4 .is a sectional plan of the gob feeding' apparatus, the section being taken at the li'nelIV-IV on-Figure 5. v

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the same at theline VV on Fig. 4.

Figure .6 'is'a sectional view substantially at the line VI-VI on Fig. 5, but with the paddle wheel shown in full lines and in a different osition.

Figure? onlFig. 5,.

is -achannel or passageway lass feed .the boot 16.

isa section at the line VII -VII 2 v f plunger projecting downwardly within the Figure 8 is a sectional plan view of a modified construction, the section being taken at the line VIIIVIII- on Figure 9.

- Figure 9 is a sectional elevation .at the line IX-IX .on Figure 8. j I

Figure 10 is an elevation of a construction including means to impartan intermittent or step by step movement to the propeller.

Figure 11 is an elevation of the same viewed in a direction at right angles to that of Figure 10. t

Figure 12 is a detail section showing the connection between the .propeller shaft and its driving gear. V

Figure 13 is a sectional view of the propeller shaft.

Figure 14 isa detail showing the locking. detent.

Referringparticularly to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 7, the glass is supplied from a refining tank or furnace '10 (Fig. 5)

and flows through an opening 11 in the side wall of the furnace and through a channel or passageway 12 into a receptacle or cup 13., This cup has its walls tapered or approxi-- 'mately funnel shaped and terminates in a' spout 14 providing. an outlet opening through which the glass is ejected. A meta frame 15 forms -a support for" a boot 16 which encloses the cup 13 and associated parts and" forms a heat chamber 18, said cup and boot being made offire clay or otherrefractory material. Adjusting screws 17 per-:

mit the cupto be adjusted horizontally on supporting lugs 18 formed on the walls of Burners 19 supply burning gases within the chamber 18, the burners being placed at an angle to cause a circulation of the flame around the cup 13. The ases of combustion aftercirculating aroun the cup 13, pass rearwa-rdly through the passageway 18 between the walls of. theboot and the channel12, and into the furnace. This passageway completely. surrounds the channel 12 so that the glass is .fully protected against any cooling influences. being envelopedby the burning gases until it has left the cup 13.

The discharge of glass is regulated and controlled, by a regulator 21 in the form-of a glass in the-cup 13 and arranged to reciprocate vertically. The stem 22 of the plunger extends through an opening 23 in the boot 16 and is adjustablyclamped in a yoke 24 having bearing sleeves 25 slidable on station- 1 aryvertical standards 26. The

plunger is reciprocated by means of a bell crank .lever having a pivotal mounting 27' in a standard 31 rising from the frame 15. The bell crank comprises an arm 28 extending forward from its pivot and connected at 29 to the yoke 24,-and a downwardly extending arm 30 carrying a cam roll 32 running on a cam. The cam is mounted on a shaft 34 to which is attached. a bevel gear 35 meshing with a gear 36 on a vertical drive shaft The drive shaft is rotated continuously,

preferably having a driving connection with the glass forming machine to which the charges of glass are transmitted.

' Cutting mechanism for severing the gobs at a point just below the spout 14, comprises a pair of shears 40 pivoted at 41 and connected through links 42 to a lever 43. The lever 43 is fulcrumed at 44 and carries a roll 45 torun on a cam 46 on the shaft 37. The shear blades are held separated, as shown in Figure 3, by a spring 48, but are periodically brought together to sever the glass by the rotation of thecam 46. This operation of the shears, as will be evident, is in synchronism with the movements of the plunger .21. Any approved form of cutting mechanism'might be employed, as such mechanism does not in itself form a part of my invention The flow of glass from the furnace to the charger cup 13 is assisted, regulated and controlled by ,a' rotary propeller 50 in the form of a paddle wheel, attached 'to thef shaft 34 to rotate therewith. This propeller comprises a series of blades 51 which are approximately the width of the channel 12. The floor 52 of the channel is curved or formed on an arc concentric with the shaft 34, the construction being such that as the propeller rotates, the glass is advanced.

in measured quantities, each suflicient to form a mold charge and substantially filling the space between two adjacent blades 51.

The charge of glass is positively fed by the' discharges a charge of glass each time theplunger makes a complete reciprocation.

. The parts are preferably so timed that a charge of glass moves down into the cup 13 while the plunger is elevated. Either the propeller 50 or the cam 33, or both, may be rotatively adjustable on the shaft 34 to vary the timing of the propeller with respect to the movements of the plunger to suit varying conditions that may be met with, in practise. A valve gate 55 is adjustable up and down to regulate the size of the opening 11 and may be used. as a means to regulate the rate at which the glass is .admitted conditions withdraws the glass upward in to the spout, owing to the glass adhering-to the plunger. While the plunger is in lts elevated position. a fresh charge of glass moves down from the propeller 50 into position to be acted upon'by the plunger.

Figures 8 and 9 show a modified construction wherein thepropeller 60 is located at a greater distance from the furnace, leaving an intermediate reservoir 61 which may be 'of greater width and capacity than the channel shown in Figure The cup 13 in this instance is provided with a comparatively large spout 62, the size being sufficient to contain a full charge 63 of glass which may pass through the channel 1n lump form as indicated. With this; arrangement there is not a head of glass 1n the cup as in Figure 5. The plunger 21 may be time to' assist gravity in forcing the glassy dowil- Ward through the spout 62, the plunger being of a sizeto approximately fill said spout. In this arrangement also the plunger I works in synch-ronism with the propeller 60,

being moved downward after each chargeof glass is advanced by the propeller. Under favorable conditions the use of the plunger 21 may be unnecessary, as the charges of glass will drop by gravity through the spout 62. 3 if Figures 10 to 14 inclusive illustrate a construction adapted for imparting an in- 1 termittent or step by step movement to the propeller. 35 ismounted for rotation on the shaft 34. A cam 70 for actuating the plunger 21 is fixed -to the hub of the gear 35 and is shaped to impart one complete reciprocation to the plunger while the gear 35 makes a complete rotation. The shaft 34 on which the propeller is mounted is intermittently connected to rotate with the gear 35 by means of a spring actuated detent 7 2 which, as shown, 1s mounted on the hub of the cam 70. The detent is adapted to engage notches 73 13) formed in the shaft 34. The detent'ls held in its retracted position by a spr1n'g7 4,

In this construction the gear except when i moved inward against the shaft by a'stationary cam 75. As the gear 35 rotates, the detent 72 is brought into engagement with the cam 75 and thereby forced radially inwardagainst-the tension of the spring 74 to engage a notch 73 so that thea I shaft 34 is driven by the detent until the latte-r passes beyond the cam 75 and is thrown out by its spring. The shaft 34 then remainsfidle until the detent has again been brought around to'its cam and is project ed inward to engage the next succeeding notch 73. The propeller 60 is thus given a stepby, step rotation in timed relation to theg'movements of the plunger. It will be understood that the number of notches 73 number of propeller gear 35, there is provided a locking detent.

80 mounted on the cam 75 and adapted to be seated in any one of a series of notches 81 by means of a spring 82. Connected with the stem of said detent is a cam section 83 in the path of the detent 72. As the latter,

during its rotation, engages the cam sec-' tion 83, it lifts the detent 80 and immediate- 'ly thereafter the detent 72 is forced downward by its cam, as heretofore described,

to connect the rotating cam with the shaft 34. As the detent 72 is carried beyond the cam section 83, the locking detent is released and slides idly over the surfaceof the shaft ,while the shaft is being driven and automatically engages the succeeding notch 81 to lock the shaft as'the driving detent 72 is released.

' Althoughll have shown the plunger 21 timed to make a single reciprocation for eachstepwmovement of the paddle wheel,

it will ;be understood that the frequency ample,-in making charges for small ware, it,

may be desirable to make several plunger strokes, resultingin a'correspondmg number of chargesor gobs, for each step movement of the paddle wheel. The speed or frequency of the plunger movements may be given any desired ratio to the speed or number of movements of the paddle, by the use of any approved form of speed changing gearing. The size of the charge produced may also be regulated or adjusted by adjusting the plunger 21 up or down in its support. It will thus be seen that the invention is adapted for feeding charges of any desired size throughout a,wide range by using any well known or approved adjusting mechanism'for varying the relative speed or frequency of the plunger-and pade.v Q p Modifications other than those herein disclosed may be resorted to ,within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. The combination of a container for molten glass, having an outlet openinga-in the bottom thereof, a plunger, means to reciprocate it in the glass toward and from said outlet, a channel through which molten glass is supplied to said container, and a rotating propeller over the glass in said channel and having blades dipping into the glass" and operable to separate and advance measured quantities of glass along the channel to said container.

2. The combination of a container for molten glass, having an outlet opening in the bottom thereof, a plunger, means to reciprocate it in the glass toward andfrom said outlet, an open channel through which molten glass is supplied tosaid container, and a propeller rotatable in the channel and having blades dipping into the glass in said channel and operable to advance to said con tainer measured quantities-of glass, each being equal to the amount of glass discharged for each reciprocation of the plunger, the parts being timed to advance theglass from the propeller into the container while the plunger is in its retracted position.

3. The combination of a tank' to contain molten glass, a, channel through which the glass flows from the tank, a rotary propeller having blades dipping into the glass in the channel and operable to advance measured quantities of. glass through said channel,

said blades with the channel walls forming measuring pockets, means providing an outlet opening through which the glass is discharged, and .a plunger reciprocating adj acent said' opening and controlling the dis-,

charge of glass through said outlet.

4. The combination of a tank tocontain molten glass, means providing a passageway throughv which the glass flows from the tank, a rotary. propellerv located over the glass in said passageway and having blades which dip in the glass and advance measured quan;

tities of glass through said' passageway, means providingan outlet opening through which the' glass isdischarged, and means operating periodically to control the discharge of glass through said opening.

5. The combination of a tank to contain molten glass and having an opening in the side wall thereof through which the glass flows, a channel extending from-said opening, and a propeller mounted to rotate in said channel, said propeller comprising a series of blades each of a size to form a wall across the channel and control the flow through the channel.

6. The combination of a tank to contain molten glass and having an opening in the side wall thereof through which the glass flows, a channel extending from said open.-

ing, and a propeller in said channel, mount ed to rotate about a horizontal axis and comprising blades approximately the width of the channel, the bottom of the channel being curved to conform to the path of said blades.

7. The combination of a tank to contain molten glass, having an'outlet opening in the side wall thereof atthe surface of the I glass, a channel leading from said opening, and a device in said-channel operating pe: riodically to form with the channel walls, pockets in whichpredetermined quantities of glass are entrapped and by which said quantities are advanced, said device also being operable to the tank.

8: The combination of a tank to contain molten glass, having an outlet openin in the side wall thereof at the level of the glass, a channel extending from said openinggand a propeller comprising blades rotatable in control the head of glass in said channel about a stationar y axis and vforming with'the' channel wall, advancing pockets operable to advance measured'quantities of glass entrapped in said pockets, said blades also serving as walls or dams across the channel to hold back the Head of glass.

9. The combination of a tank to contain molten glass, having an'outlet opening in the side wall thereof at the level of the glass, a channel extending from said opening, a propeller, and means to intermittently ro- "tate the propeller about a stationary axis, said propellercomprising blades which with CLYDE R. LOTT. 

